The arrival of August means a few things: A break from fast-paced, frenetic schedules, sweltering heat that drives everyone to the beach and the pool, and copious amounts of fresh, sweet summer corn. Our farmers market boasts heaps of summer corn for 50 cents a cob, and I buy it in bulk and use it in everything I can come up with. Corn chowder, corn on pizza, corn fritters, even corn ice cream (surprisingly delicious!) all make appearances, but this corn salad definitely tops my list. Its quick to assemble, tastes delicious warm or cold, and can be made almost entirely from ingredients found at the farmers market.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 ears of white or yellow corn
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup mozzarella, shredded into bite sized pieces
- 2 avocadoes, diced
- ½ cup basil, shredded
- Splash balsamic vinegar
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Honey or agave, to taste (optional)
Directions
- To make the corn salad, start by heating a good splash of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the garlic to the warm oil. Heat the garlic for a few minutes while you get on with the corn, making sure not to brown the garlic too much.
- Strip the kernels off of the corn and add them to the garlic and oil, and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Cook the corn for about eight or ten minutes, until its tender but still has a little crunch when you taste it.
- Take the corn off the heat and pour it into a large bowl, allowing it to cool slightly before adding the other ingredients.
- To the corn, add the cherry tomatoes, the mozzarella, the avocados, the basil, and a splash of the balsamic vinegar.
- Mix everything together well, and taste for salt and pepper. If you're making this slightly out of season when the corn isn't as great, add a tablespoon of honey or agave to mimic the sweetness of summer corn. This salad keeps really well in the fridge, but odds are there won't be much leftover after dinner!
*Do yourself a favor and spend a few bucks on a corn stripper. Though it sounds a bit naughty, all it does is strip the kernels off the cobs of corn in one easy movement, so you don’t spray them all over your kitchen in the process.
*Photo Credit www.twobluelemons.com
